Founded in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1973 by Willy Theisen, Godfather’s Pizza began as a bold concept that combined rich, thick-crust pizza with a generous helping of toppings. Theisen’s vision quickly resonated with customers, leading to the launch of the first franchise just a year later in Lincoln, Nebraska.
By the early 1980s, the chain had expanded to over 900 locations, becoming one of the fastest-growing pizza franchises in the United States. Today, Godfather’s Pizza is headquartered at 2808 North 108th Street in Omaha, Nebraska, and operates approximately 445 locations nationwide.
Godfather’s Pizza is renowned for its commitment to quality, offering a menu that features pizzas with thick, buttery crusts and abundant toppings, as well as sandwiches, salads, and other Italian-American favorites.
This dedication to hearty, flavorful offerings sets it apart from competitors, providing customers with a satisfying dining experience that emphasizes both taste and value.
Here's what you would need to invest if you were to start this franchise. These costs are provided by the franchisor in the Franchise Disclosure Document.
Godfather’s Pizza offers 4 types of franchises:
We are summarizing below the main costs associated with opening a Godfather’s Pizza Full-Service Restaurant. For more information on costs required to start a Godfather’s Pizza franchise, refer to the Franchise Disclosure Document (Item 7).
Godfather’s Pizza offers a comprehensive training program designed to prepare franchisees and their staff for operating their restaurant locations effectively. The training is required before opening and continues throughout the franchise relationship. Here are the main training components:
Godfather’s Pizza generally does not offer exclusive territory protection to its franchisees. Franchisees are allowed to operate only at a specific approved location and may face direct competition from other Godfather’s Pizza outlets owned or franchised by the company in the same area. The company explicitly states that no exclusive territory is granted for traditional or non-traditional locations under normal circumstances.
However, there are rare exceptions. In specific cases—typically involving high-visibility sites or strategic areas—Godfather’s Pizza may grant an exclusive territory if a prospective franchisee demands it as a condition for opening a location. In such cases, the territory’s size and boundaries are defined at the company’s discretion and documented in the Franchise Agreement.
KEY FRANCHISE STATS
All you need to know about this franchise
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Below are some of
Godfather's Pizza
key competitors in the
Pizza
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$7,500 to $25,000
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